What Content Marketers Need to Know About AEO vs SEO: Different Goals, Different Formats

All content marketers use SEO (search engine optimization). Few actually enjoy it. Who can blame them? Decades ago, SEO used to be closer to magic that somehow always worked. Now it’s more of a slow drudge. But what can you, or any other marketer, do but put your head down and keep on plugging away on your SEO?

You can do something else. Two things, actually: AEO (answer engine optimization) and GEO (Generative Engine Optimization). Yes, learning something new is hard. The great thing about learning AEO and GEO, however, is that they will help out your SEO results.

Stop Confusing AEO and SEO

Forget "optimization" as one vague blob. SEO, AEO, and GEO? Different beasts. Different goals. Different rules. Let’s break them down bluntly.

• SEO: The original workhorse. It fights for those classic blue links on the search results page (SERP). Its mission? Drive clicks. Get users to your website. Simple. Foundational.

• AEO: This targets the instant answers served directly on the SERP. Think Featured snippets, "People Also Ask" boxes, knowledge panels. Its mission? Deliver the perfect, concise answer right there. Often, no click needed. It’s about owning the spotlight on Google.

• GEO: This is the new frontier. It focuses on how Large Language Models (LLMs) like Gemini, Claude, or ChatGPT use your content. GEO isn't about getting your exact words copied into an AI answer (like AEO aims for with Google). Instead, GEO aims to make your content a trusted, authoritative source that these AI models rely on to generate their own comprehensive, original answers. Your goal? Be the indispensable reference the AI learns from and cites. It’s about feeding the machine that powers AI overviews and chat responses.

Blur these, and you bleed effort. Each demands distinct tactics. Understanding this split is your first win.

SEO: Your Traffic Engine

Think SEO as your foundation. Your long game. It builds the pathways to your door.

• What it Wants: Bodies on your site. Qualified traffic. Getting those top organic listings that scream "CLICK ME!" and pull visitors deep into your world.

• What it Looks Like: Deep dives. Pillar pages. Ultimate guides. Detailed blog posts. Product pages packed with info. Content built to satisfy a user’s full intent, making them stick around. This builds authority. Signals you own the topic.

• Keyword Hunting Ground: The whole spectrum. "What is..." (informational). "HubSpot login" (navigational). "Best project management tools 2024" (commercial research). "Buy wireless headphones" (transactional). SEO demands you get the intent behind the search. Then answer it fully. On. Your. Site.

• Content Rules: Go deep or go home. Cover every angle, making sure that discrete chunks of info are easy to spot while scanning. That means H1s, H2s, H3s that make intuitive sense. Give the piece logical flow and sprinkle in internal links to keep audiences reading. Scannable chunks (bullets! lists!). Tech matters too: Speed. Mobile-friendliness. 

• How You Win: Track organic traffic surges. Watch keyword rankings claw into the top 3. Measure CTR (clickthrough rates) from the SERPs (search engine results pages). See time-on-page climb. Pages-per-session rise. And crucially, watch those organic conversions roll in. Did they click? Did they stay? Did they act? That’s SEO winning.

Meaningful content takes forever—that’s true. But the right content can pay out forever, too. It builds authority that pays compounding interest. Ten shallow posts can’t touch it. Build assets, not just articles.

AEO: Own the Instant Answer

AEO is your sniper shot. Its power? Instant gratification.

• What it Wants: Your answer in the box. The definitive, concise response served right on the results page. Capture eyeballs instantly. Shout "WE ARE THE AUTHORITY!" without needing a click. (Though if they need more, you’re the source they see).

• What it Looks Like: Concision is non-negotiable. Think:

  • Direct Hit Paragraphs: 40-60 words with the answer right there at first scan. 

  • Sharp Lists: Steps? Features? Comparisons? Bullet it. Number it. Keep it tight and parallel. 

  • Clean Tables: Pricing tiers? Product specs? Features compared? Tables make it scan-ready.

  • Crisp Definitions: Explain a term? Succinct. Clear. Done.

• Keyword Hunting Ground: "How to..." "What is..." "Why does..." "Best way to..." "Steps for..." "Difference between X and Y..." Also definition searches ("define [term]") and quick fact checks. Find the exact question. Answer it perfectly.

• Content Rules: Use the exact question as your heading (H2 often nails it). Structure your response using the formats above. Strong verbs. Crystal clarity. AI platforms can help marketers juggle different formats easily—generating clean snippets, tables, or lists from your core content. Crucially, use Schema markup (FAQPage, HowTo). This tells Google exactly what your answer is and where to put it. Ensure the surrounding page backs up your authority.

• How You Win: Track Featured Snippet wins. Count appearances in "People Also Ask". Monitor impressions for those question keywords. See your brand name shining on the SERP itself. Brand visibility is the metric. Winning AEO means you are the answer.

But if they get the answer on Google, why will they click? Fair point. Many won't. But...owning that snippet puts you above everyone else. Even ads. It’s prime real estate. For complex needs? They will click for the full story—and you’re the trusted source they remember. 

GEO: Become the AI's Trusted Source

GEO operates differently. It’s not about owning a box on Google. It’s about being the bedrock knowledge that AI models use to build their answers, whether in AI overviews on Google, within chat interfaces like ChatGPT, or other LLM outputs.

• What it Wants: Recognition as a top-tier, reliable source. Your content being ingested, understood, and valued by LLMs. Your insights, data, and expertise forming the foundation for the AI’s own generated responses. You want the AI to cite you, or at least be demonstrably informed by you.

• What it Looks Like: This is where your deep, authoritative SEO content becomes absolutely critical. GEO thrives on:

• Real Expertise: Original research and proprietary data is king. 

• Clear Authority Signals: Strong E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness). Author bios with credentials. Clear citations and sourcing. Demonstrating why you know your stuff.

• Comprehensive Coverage: Covering topics exhaustively from multiple angles. LLMs need context and depth to understand nuance and generate good answers.

• Structured Clarity: While less about strict snippet formats than AEO, clear organization (good headings, logical flow) helps LLMs parse and understand your content better. Schema markup can also help signal content type and value.

GEO requires the deep, authoritative, well-structured content that SEO demands. Your pillar pages and ultimate guides are prime GEO fuel. Technical SEO health, combined with high-quality backlinks, will always signal that you are an authoritative source. This goes for AI and humans. 

Both GEO and AEO benefit from clear, concise answers to specific questions within your deep content. However, AEO targets a specific SERP feature (the snippet), while GEO targets the underlying AI model training and response generation process, which is broader.

GEO success isn't measured by a SERP position or a featured snippet. It’s measured by the perception and reality of your site being a go-to source for AI. Are you cited? Is your expertise clearly reflected in AI outputs on your topic? It’s more nebulous but increasingly vital.

Adapt and Own

You’re not imagining things. AI overviews and direct answers are taking a bite out of traditional click-through traffic. But opportunity remains for those who adapt.

Here’s your action plan:

1. Double down on depth and expertise (SEO/GEO Foundation): Be the undeniable expert. This underpins everything: SEO rankings, AEO snippet potential, and GEO source authority. Original research, unique data, and practical experience are your gold.

2. Structure for scans and snippets (AEO): Audit your best content. Where can you insert clear, concise answers to specific questions? Use exact question headers. Format answers as paragraphs, lists, tables. Implement Schema markup (FAQPage, HowTo, Article, etc.) aggressively. AI platforms can help marketers juggle different formats easily, streamlining this process.

3. Embrace the Spotlight (AEO): Actively target question-based keywords. Track snippet wins. Understand that brand visibility on the SERP, even without a click, has immense value. It builds trust and recall for when the user is ready to engage deeper.

4. Think Like a Source (GEO): When creating content, ask: "Is this something an AI model would find genuinely valuable to learn from?" Focus on E-E-A-T. Cite sources. Show your work. 

5. Measure Holistically: Aside from the SEO metrics you’re already tracking, add AEO metrics (snippets, PAA appearances, SERP brand visibility). For GEO, monitor mentions in AI tools (where possible), analyze if your core topics are well-represented in AI overviews (implying your knowledge is part of the mix), and track branded search volume—does your authority recognition increase? See how these channels influence each other.

   
   

Wrapping Up

SEO builds your house: driving traffic, engagement, conversions inside. AEO plants your flag on the busiest digital street corner, owning the instant answer, dominating the SERP, building authority in a blink. GEO ensures your expertise is woven into the very fabric of the AI-generated answers shaping user understanding everywhere.

One drives visits. One owns the spotlight. One feeds the future.When SEO, AEO, and GEO work together, you don't just rank. You shape the conversation. You build authority that echoes from the first quick question to the AI’s comprehensive answer to the final, trusting conversion. That’s control. That’s impact. That’s winning the new search game. Go get yours.

Guest Post from Edrian Blasquino